Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 195
January 4, 2019
Today in World War II History—Jan. 4, 1944
Gregorio Diamare and the ecclesiastical authorities of Monte Cassino abbey giving German Luftwaffe troops permission to remove artwork to Germany, 4 Jan 1944 (German Federal Archive: Bild 101I-729-0005-25)
75 Years Ago—Jan. 4, 1944: Church authorities at the Abbey of Monte Cassino give Luftwaffe permission to remove artwork to Germany.
Mussolini’s Fascist government in northern Italy seizes Jewish assets and forbids Jews from owning land or stock.
Future Nobel Laureate Ralph Bunche becomes the first African-American officer in the US State Department, appointed to a post in the Near East and African Section.
January 3, 2019
Today in World War II History—Jan. 3, 1944
Senior staff of the US 7th Marines on Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 10 Jan 1944. (US Marine Corps photo)
Top US Marine ace, Maj. Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, is shot down in his F4U by a Japanese Zero near Rabaul, but he survives the war as a POW.
In the Solomons, US launches offensive on New Britain from Cape Gloucester.
January 2, 2019
Today in World War II History—Jan. 2, 1944
US LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) at Saidor, New Guinea 2 January 1944 (US Army Center of Military History)
75 Years Ago—Jan. 2, 1944: US Sixth Army lands at Saidor, New Guinea, finds little opposition, takes harbor and airfield, cutting off 12,000 troops of Japanese 18th Army.
Gen. Bernard Montgomery arrives in England to take command of Allied 21 Army Group for D-day.
January 1, 2019
Today in World War II History—Jan. 1, 1944
US Marine Corps recruiting poster, WWII
75 Years Ago—Jan. 1, 1944: Gen. Alexander Vandegrift replaces Gen. Thomas Holcomb as commandant of the US Marine Corps.
US penny production switched from steel to an alloy of copper and brass from salvaged shell casings.
December 31, 2018
Today in World War II History—Dec. 31, 1943
Poster for the US Victory Book Campaign
75 Years Ago—Dec. 31, 1943: US Marines secure crucial airfield at Cape Gloucester, New Britain in the Solomons.
Victory Book Campaign closes due to inefficiency of program and to the publication of the Armed Services Editions books; had collected 17 million books and distributed 11 million.
Fletcher-class destroyer USS Cassin Young is commissioned at San Pedro, CA (currently a museum ship in Boston). [See pictures of the USS Cassin Young in my three-part blog series: Destroyer Tour]
Sarah Sundin by the 5-inch gun mount on destroyer USS Cassin Young, Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, July 2014 (Photo: Sarah Sundin)
December 30, 2018
Today in World War II History—Dec. 30, 1943
Subhash Chandra Bose and Hideki Tojo, Tokyo, Japan, 10 Jun 1943 (public domain via WW2 Database)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 30, 1943: British & Indian forces launch Second Arakan Campaign toward Akyab, Burma.
In Andaman Islands, Subhash Chandra Bose declares an independent India, collaborating with the Japanese.
December 29, 2018
Today in World War II History—Dec. 29, 1943
Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson (Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean) and Gen. Sir Oliver Leese (Commander, British Eighth Army), Italy, 30 April 1944 (Imperial War Museum)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 29, 1943: Lt. Gen. Sir Oliver Leese replaces Gen. Bernard Montgomery over British Eighth Army in Italy; Montgomery will lead Allied ground forces (21 Army Group) for Operation Overlord (D-day).
December 28, 2018
Today in World War II History—Dec. 28, 1943
Canadian troops in Ortona, Italy, December 1943 (National Archives of Canada)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 28, 1943: Canadians take Ortona, Italy after fierce house-to-house fighting.
In Naples, Italy, US Army opens mass delousing stations for civilians to control a typhus epidemic.
US Army delousing station in Naples during the typhus epidemic, 1943-44 (US Army Office of Medical History)
December 27, 2018
Today in World War II History—Dec. 27, 1943
US poster, WWII
75 Years Ago—Dec. 27, 1943: Gen. Henry “Hap” Arnold gives New Year’s address to commanders of US Eighth (England) & Fifteenth (Italy) Air Forces: “Destroy the Enemy Air Force wherever you find them, in the air, on the ground and in the factories.”
In Italy, the Allied advance halts at Monte Cassino.
US government seizes railroads to stop the nationwide rail strike.
December 26, 2018
Today in World War II History—Dec. 26, 1943
US Marines landing at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 26 December 1943 (US National Archives)
75 Years Ago—Dec. 26, 1943: US Marines land at Cape Gloucester, New Britain in the Solomon Islands; they encounter little opposition due to heavy pre-invasion bombing.
In Battle of the North Cape off Norway, British ships sink German battlecruiser Scharnhorst while it’s attacking Allied Arctic convoys; only 36 of 1963 men survive.
